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The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), in partnership with Parts Central Limited, is set to unveil a nationwide inland waterways clean-up initiative aimed at tackling pollution, creating jobs and unlocking new opportunities within Nigeria’s blue economy.
The initiative will be unveiled on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at Bic Garden, Lagos, with government officials, maritime industry stakeholders and other key players expected at the event.
Conceived under the leadership of former NIWA Managing Director and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Osun State, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, the programme seeks to establish a structured system for identifying, removing and converting waste generated across Nigeria’s inland waterways into economic value.
The initiative is expected to tackle indiscriminate waste disposal and other sources of waterway pollution, which pose threats to navigation, aquatic ecosystems and communities dependent on the waterways for their livelihoods.
Beyond environmental remediation, the programme is projected to create employment opportunities for communities along Nigeria’s waterways, while supporting waste recovery, recycling and other sustainable economic activities.
The clean-up drive will also target debris and pollution-related obstructions that affect inland waterway navigation. According to the organisers, improved waterways could support the conservation of aquatic biodiversity, much of which remains undocumented, while contributing to the development of Nigeria’s fisheries economy.
The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s blue economy agenda, which seeks to expand the economic contribution of Nigeria’s marine and inland water resources beyond transportation.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has consistently emphasised the need to harness Nigeria’s extensive inland waterways as strategic assets for economic diversification and sustainable development.
NIWA Lagos Area Manager, Engr. Sarat Braimah, and Managing Director of Parts Central Limited, Henry Olaoluwa Onifade, said the Lagos unveiling would provide an opportunity to brief stakeholders on the objectives and benefits of the initiative and secure their support for its implementation.
The initiative represents an effort to move Nigeria’s inland waterways management beyond periodic environmental interventions towards a structured model linking pollution control with waste-to-value opportunities, employment creation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable blue economy development.
